Here's a different kind of Halibut fishing trip...
On November 16th and 21st, CCA CAL and HSWRI are hosting a Halibut Broodstock gathering trip through Dana Wharf on one of their boats.
You must be a CCA CAL Member and it's $50 per trip.
Reservations required and payment to guarantee spot. Limited load trips.
No fish can be kept and all fish other than Halibut must be released.
Message or email Wayne wkotow@ccacalifornia.org

Hubbs is raising Halibut for possible breeding and release...much like the WSB hatchery program.
We have two stocks of breeding fish...one from the Santa Monica Bay area and the other from the southern San Diego areas...both are down at the Hubbs Carlsbad facility.
The first fish CCA and Hubbs broodstock gathered at the beginning of this year have already spawned and produced baby halibut.

bump.
The mid-work week dates don't work for me and maybe most of us. Weekend Warrior here.
My questions if on a weekend would be (might help for others)...
What harbor/landing?
What duration of boat trip - 1/2 day, full day?

They should do a buy in jackpot to make things fun.

Get a weekend date and I'd be in...sounds fun.

I went on Lyall's bass tagging trip a few years back and that was good fun.

I typed this message 4 times, and erased it 4 times. Trying not to come across as some cheap old crotchety geezer here...

What it boils down to is having volunteers who are most likely taking time off work and donating their time and effort with no other gain (like taking home by-catch), pay for the privilege of being there just seems off. They should at least have the opportunity to write off that 50 bucks as a donation.
Back when I was President of the San Diego Oceans Foundation we would obtain corporate grants to cover the cost of volunteers participating in efforts such as this.

I typed this message 4 times, and erased it 4 times. Trying not to come across as some cheap old crotchety geezer here...

What it boils down to is having volunteers who are most likely taking time off work and donating their time and effort with no other gain (like taking home by-catch), pay for the privilege of being there just seems off. They should at least have the opportunity to write off that 50 bucks as a donation.
Back when I was President of the San Diego Oceans Foundation we would obtain corporate grants to cover the cost of volunteers participating in efforts such as this.

I don't know - maybe I am getting old and crotchety...

Now get off my lawn!

Personally, I'm going because I like to fish, and halibut is a target I would eventually like to catch more of. If this research pans out like it did with the WSB, then it'll be halibut on the dinner table, eventually.

I may be available next week. Not entirely sure just yet. It would also be a good excuse for me to go ahead and sign up for CCA.

Out of curiosity, do size limits apply when harvesting broodstock, or do you pretty much take what you find?

Size limits do not apply when taking under a scientific permit, which is what is going on here. The HSWRI staff do have a preferred minimum size as it makes it easier to sex them and acclimate them to tank living. ie, the bigger the better.

The scientific permit is also the reason why no bycatch is allowed to be kept.